Let Me In
by SilverRibbon
Summary: Ignorance can be bliss.....Karou takes her wish to understand what Kenshin has gone through to far, what results will change both of them forever.


Disclamer :I do not own, or claim to own any of the characters used in this story. This is a work of fiction writien for my own and hopefully others amusement.  
  
'Let me in'  
  
Prolouge.  
  
Karou looked up at the elegant wisps of white clouds slowly trekking their way across the deep blue spring sky. Birds sand in the tress, several of whom were in full bloom, and a gentle wind tossed falling sakura pettles around like a gentle fall of pink snow filling the air with their delicate fragrance.  
  
Looking back down at the teacup in her hands Karou studied her reflection in the liquid. A young woman sixteen or perhaps seventeen years old staired back at her, the lines of her face rippling. Unlike most women this girls hair was pulled into a high pony tail, no make up of any kind and perhaps the strangest thing a mans kendo gi.  
  
A petal drifted down to land in the teacup scattering the reflection to ripples. Karou sighed and looked away from the cup out over the yard. It was empty of human life save for her this morning, petals drifted down to the ground undisturbed by footsteps and rested on the laundry line.  
  
Yahiko was helping Tie and Tsubami at the restaurant today, a festival was starting tonight and they expected a lot of business from all of the visiting people. Sanoske had generously volunteered to help as well, in other words he hopped to get some free food out of the deal.  
  
And Kenshin..Kenshin was out grocery shopping, a task the ruroni often did and seemed to enjoy. 'It is just as well' Karou thought bitterly, it was the stinging truth that the ex assaian was not only better at shopping than she.but a much better cook as well. Infact. Kenshin could cook, clean, sew and fight better than her as well. Karou sighed again and sniffed angrily fighting back the stinging in her eyes 'What good am I as a woman when the man I love can do all the feminine things better than me?!'  
  
The rurouni had been living at the dojo for nearly two years now. Karou could still remember the chill spring morning they met for the first time. She had accused him of being the Battosai, and trashing her family honor.  
  
Karou had been half right. Kenshin was the hitokiri Battosai, but he had nothing to do with the murders around town. Instead he had helped her to restore her family and fathers honor by bringing the real killer to justice. Kenshin had been living at the dojo since then, and as time passed other unusual people came to be adopted into her strange family as well.each tied together by the gentle ex samurai in one way or another.  
  
Yahiko, an ex thief had been freed from his forced work for the yakuza by Kenshin and then given to Karou as a student to help her rebuild her family's kendo school.  
  
Sanosuke used to be a street fighter, the brash young man had come to give a damn about things again when he saw that a man with Kenshin's past was trying to do good in the world and move on. He had his own place down on ruffian row, but more often than not could be found slumming around the dojo like a stray cat. Karou hated to admit it but she had grown rather found of the man.  
  
Magumi was a doctor who was forced into making opium, Kenshin and Sano saved her. Karou scowled as thoughts of the fox lady entered her head. Sometimes she almost wished Kenshin had sent her on her way OUT of Tokyo. That woman was always picking fights and.acting promiscuous around her kenshin, who she called 'sir ken'.  
  
With a bit of a jerk Karou noted that she thinks of him as 'her' Ken. This earned another sigh and a bit of color staining her cheeks. Yes SHE thought about him that way, but as far as Karou could tell Kenshin thought of her more like a little sister than an attractive woman. Even after all they had gone through Kenshin still kept this invisible barrier between himself and everyone allowing no one, even her to pass. Just once she wished Kenshin would give her a hint, a SIGN that maybe.maybe she was important to him the way he was to her.  
  
Karou was thinking along these lines when the man in question returned home. Noticing Karou's rather sad expression a concerned look flashed across his features before he smiled his usual 'oro' smile.  
  
"Karou Dono, this one is back from the market."  
  
Kenshin called out chipperly and watched as her head snapped up and she quickly tried to hide her moronically manner with a huge cheesy grin.  
  
"Kenshin! Welcome back home. How was the shopping?"  
  
"Good! There were some nice mushrooms and leaks, I thought sessha would cook a stirfry with the carrots and beans left over in storage?"  
  
Karou smiled "That sounds wonderful Kenshin, thank you."  
  
Kenshin shook his head "It is this one's pleasure to cook for you Karou Donno."  
  
Entering the kitchen Kenshin unloaded his basket and then gently lifted a tray of small seedlings planted in tiny paper cups out from their resting place under a light covering and carried them out to the porch. Karou was staring at her teacup again, Kenshin tilted his head to one side.  
  
"The tea is probably cold by now Karou Donno, would you like me to make a fresh pot?  
  
Karou jumped slightly at the sound of Kenshin's voice, almost spilling tea on her arm. Kenshin internally noted wryly that she was to preoccupied with her thoughts to have herd him coming. But he said nothing and kept smiling curiously. Karou shook her head and set the cup down on the porch next to her.  
  
"No thank you Kenshin, I'm done anyway. What is that you have there?" she waved at the wooden box.  
  
Kenshin smiled and glanced down at the box,  
  
"Sessha picked up some seedlings for the garden. It is the right time for planting spring vegetables. Sesha thought he would get the garden started early this year before the heavy rains."  
  
Karou smiled looking up at him with interest and was startled when Kenshin spoke again, expecting him simply walk around back and start planting in that quiet way of his.  
  
"Perhaps you would like to help Sesha plant this seedlings?" Kenshin's voce was soft and held an unusual tone. Karou thought she could since the words full of some emotion but couldn't decide what that was. Looking at his eyes she noticed briefly they were a slightly darker blue hue than usual but still kind.  
  
"Sure Kenshin!" Karou pounced on the idea, still stunned by the invitation. Digging was something she COULD do with out making a mess of things.  
  
Around back Karou was startled again when she noticed that the garden plot behind the house had not only been expanded to twice its original size, but somehow Kenshin had found time to get the soil ready for planting. A low fence surrounded the garden, to keep rabbits out Karou thought and the deep brown earth gave off a rich sent.  
  
Kenshin and Karou fell into a routine for the first two rows of seedlings. Kenshin would separate each of the tiny delicate plants and gently set them in small holes Karou made in the soil, then cover it to plant the next one about a foot away. Karou noticed irritated that her lines of holes were not strait, but if the ex-samurai noticed he said nothing.  
  
Karou found herself enjoying the work more than she thought she would and soon fell into the pattern of talking to Kenshin about his day. The man listened quietly smiling and nodding occasionally to agree or laugh when she mentioned some stupid thing Yahiko had done the other day. Before she noticed how much time had passed only one row of seedlings were left to plant. Karou gently touched one with her fingertip and looked over at Kenshin, who was just finishing patting the dirt in place around a potato seedling.  
  
"Ne, Kenshin what are these?" Karou asked curiously not being able to tell what vegetables they would grow into.. Kenshin stood, dusted his hakama pants off and kneeled by Karou. When he saw what was left to plant something unfathomable flickered behind his lavender eyes, leaving Karou to wonder if she had really seen sadness or not.  
  
"Those are radishes Karou Dono, Dikon. They look quite different when they are young don't they?"  
  
Karou blinked, she wouldn't know. She was never much of a gardener and had never gotten more than a few vegetables to grow from the old garden.  
  
"Really? "  
  
Karou said touching the tiny plant with a fingertip again,  
  
"They are so tiny! It's hard to believe they will grow into large radishes."  
  
Kenshin laughed and Karou was much relived to hear the sound after the strange look on his face earlier  
  
"Trust me Karou dono, Sesha thinks the only thing that grows faster than radishes are the weeds. They will get very large indeed."  
  
The planting finished they headed inside. Karou smiled as she walked behind Kenshin, who was heading into the kitchen. Supposedly he was going to start dinner preparations.  
  
Kenshin had looked so happy out in the garden, even more so than when he did the laundry. Karou couldn't help but think that working with the land was really what Kenshin would like.  
  
"You would make a wonderful farmer Kenshin, I've never seen anyone love working with the earth as much as you do. It makes you happy, I think you've found your true calling." Karou said jokingly walking by the kitchen as Kenshin turned into it.  
  
Kenshin froze for a moment and his grip on the tofu bucket tightened, then loosened. He had to take a moment so his voice would sound normal when he answered Karou, memories of planting another garden. with another woman so long ago. One who had said something very similar flashed behind his eyes leaving the ex-assassin felling slightly sick to his stomach.  
  
"You think so Karou Dono?"  
  
Kenshin said lightly, the look in his eyes far from matching his happy tone, but then again Karou was not in the kitchen to see his expression so it mattered little.  
  
"Hie Kenshin, I do."  
  
Karou called back to him, then grumbled as she realized she had left her bokken on the porch. What kind of a responsible example was THAT for Yahiko? Walking back through the house Karou spotted Kenshin chopping vegetables for dinner, a haunted look on his face. Karou paused, ready to ask him what was wrong. But than shook her head and continued out side.  
  
"He won't tell me anyway."  
  
She muttered bitterly picking up her discarded sword  
  
"He never does. I wish. I wish just once he would let me in."  
  
The wind picked up suddenly crisp edge to the breeze. Shivering, and feeling suddenly cold Karou gave the sky an uneasy look before heading inside. 


End file.
